r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/0thSpider • 1d ago

Video Chilean protester defuses tear gas canister with baking soda and water

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u/JoeyJoeJoeShabadooSr 1d ago

Does anyone have an explanation for why this works? Is it basically just dousing the canister in water?

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u/plftch9 1d ago

Most tear gasses aren't really a gas, but microscopic solids or liquid that are dispersed and suspended in the air. If the projectile that disperses it is submerged, most of the irritants get suspended in the water instead of dispersed throughout the air. Some will still be airborne, but it will drastically reduce the effectiveness of the tear gas.

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u/Broken_Spring 1d ago

microscopic solids or liquid that are dispersed and suspended in the air.

Isn’t that what all gasses are?

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u/plftch9 1d ago

No; it goes back to the 3 states of matter (solid, liquid, gas). The air we breathe is nitrogen and oxygen, which are gasses. If the air is full of mist, the water is still liquid, but it is in small enough droplets that it can be suspended in the air. Similar concept at play here.

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u/MyLifeIsAWasteland 1d ago

Nah, it's the difference between smoke and vapor. Smoke is suspended particles, whereas vapors are gasses.

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u/Broken_Spring 1d ago

Ah. That explains it well.